Dean Smith: “I’m disappointed but we didn’t deserve to win the game over the 94 or 95 minutes,” the Villa manager says. “It was, I thought, not certainly a game for the purists. It was an ugly game with not many completed passes and not many clear cut chances. They probably had the better ones, in all honesty, but when you score a goal like we did in the 90th minute you should probably go and see it out. I can’t be too hard on the boys because they have generally done all season.”
Steve Bruce speaks: “There wasn’t much in the game. The goal that they score is a bit of a fluke but the one thing you have to do is show a bit of hunger and desire and get back into it. We’ve done that. We’ve managed to scrape something out of it and I think we’ve at least deserved that.”
On Joelinton: He’s come in for a bit of criticism, has Joe, but he’s contributed a lot to the team with his performance today. Of course, he needs to score a goal and be a bit of a hero for once but that hasn’t quite happened for him. He’s performing as well as he can do and I’m sure there’s a goal or two around the corner for him, I hope ... but his all round performance I was pleased with.”
On Newcastle’s chances of staying up: “There’s still 10 games and we’ve missed three big players. Their return gives us something to focus on.”
On the pressure he is under: “You learn from your experiences and I’m ready for the challenge of it. Newcastle’s always a difficult club to manage but I’ve been around the block a long time.”
Match report: Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa
Premier League: A largely torpid affair burst into life on 85 minutes as the sides shared the points at St James’ Park. Louise Taylor was there.
Jamaal Lascelles: “Over the course of the game I wouldn’t say it was a fair result,” he tells BT Sport. “I thought we were the better team, I thought we had the better chances. It was a difficult game but it seems like we created the most. Then, the one chance they had ... a deflection that goes in. I guess that’s football but we had to keep fighting to the end and we did.
“I thought we were playing some good football, we were on the front foot and we just weren’t taking our chances. We ended up getting a bit of luck back ourselves.”
Full-time: Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa
Well, well, well. After 80 minutes of utter dross, the teams finally put on a show in the final 10. Having taken the lead in the 86th minute through a Ciaran Clark own goal, Aston Villa somehow contrived to throw away victory.
In the final minute of injury time, they failed to clear the ball from the edge of their own penalty area, the ball went wide to Jacob Murphy and Isaac Hayden gave two defenders the dlip to power a near past header past the helpless Emi Martinez.
A draw is probably the fair result, but Villa will be absolutely gutted to have lost. They stay in ninth play, while Newcastle inch another point clear of the relegation zone. They’re two clear of Brighton and Fulham.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-1 Aston Villa (Lascelles 90+4)
Newcastle equalise. At the near post, Jamaal Lascelles gets on the end of a cross from the left to score with a bullet header.
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90+3 min: Dubravka sacvs brilliantly to deny Ollie Watkins, who had been teed up by Ross Barkley as Villa counter-attacked. Watkins had to have been offside there, but Dubravka wasn’t to know.
90+2 min: We’re in the second of four minutes of added time and Newcastle have a free-kick wide on the right. Joe Willock swings the ball towards Andy Carroll, whose knockdown is hacked clear.
90 min: That goal has been officially credited to Ciaran Clark, which I’m sure he’ll be delighted to hear.
89 min: Spotting Martin Dubravka off his line, Douglas Luiz tries to beat him from distance. His lob isn’t quite on target, but is close enough for Newcastle’s goalkeeper to put it out for a corner.
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88 min: Newcastle substitution: Andy Carroll on for Isaac Hayden.
GOAL! Newcastle 0-1 Aston Villa (Watkins 86)
Oh my! Getting his head to a cross from the left at the near post, Ollie Watkins steers a header goalwards. Dubravka has it covered, but the ball takes a deflection off Ciaran Clark, completely changes direction and goes in off the cross-bar. How’s your luck?
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85 min: Ollie Watkins smashes the ball goalwards from a tight angle but Dubravka is on hand to block his effort.
84 min: There’s a break in play as Tyrone Mings receives treatment after a heavy collision with Jonjo Shelvey.
82 min: So close!!! Just on as a substitute for Ryan Fraser, Jacob Murphy thumps the ball against the cross-bar with the Villa goal gaping.
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78 min: With the ball dropping to an unmarked El Ghazi at the far post from an Elmohamady cross, Emile Krafth gets a crucial header in to clear. Joelinton sets off up the field and is fouled by Mings. The Newcastle striker stays on his feet and continues on his way, only to be fouled by Mings again. That’s two tactical fouls for the price of one, as the Villa defender only gets one yellow card.
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75 min: A Sanson cross into the Newcastle penalty is headed clear. Ryan Fraser gallops off on the counter and is fouled by the Frenchman, who gets booked for his selfless cynicism.
75 min: John McGinn is booked for some indiscretion or other that escaped my attention. Apologies.
72 min: Joelinton squares the ball from the corner of the six-yard box but can’t pick out a team-mate. A more confident player would have shot and possibly even scored. Newcastle are bossing proceedings at the moment but can they find a goal?
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70 min: Aston Villa remain on the back foot, forced to defend a long throw from Emile Krafth and a subsequent cross from Ryan Fraser after Ross Barkley had lost the ball in midfield.
66 min: Jamaal Lascelles is penalised and booked for handball.
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66 min: Villa attack, with Matt Targett crossing from the left. His effort drops over the Newcastle cross-bar. Villa substitution: Ross Barkley on for Trezeguet.
65 min: It’s looking like both these teams could play until midnight without scoring, but Newcastle are looking the more threatening as things stand.
64 min: Joelinton crosses the ball into the Villa penalty area from the left, where Matt Targett does his damnedest to head it into his own net. Emi Martinez spares his blushes with a save that was perhaps a little more acrobatic than necessary.
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63 min: Good defending from Konsa, who denies Ryan Fraser a run on goal with a neat little pirouette to take possessino of a ball from deep.
62 min: Another Newcastle cross, another Villa clearance. Rinse and repeat ...
61 min: Mings is penalised for another foul on Joelinton, who’s proving a real handful for the Villa centre-half. Free-kick for Newcastle about 35 yards from the Villa goal. Shelvey floats the ball into the penalty area and Mings gets his head to it.
59 min: Ollie Watkins keeps the ball in play on the right touchline, cuts inside to the edge of the Newcastle penalty area and then gives it away. For the love of humanity ...
58 min: Villa substitution: Morgan Sanson on, Jacob Ramsey off.
56 min: Trezeguet charges down the right chasing a long ball. He gets to it and pulls it back for El Ghazi, whose thunderous drive towards goal is blocked by Ciaran Clark. Good defending.
55 min: Jonjo Shelvey tries his luck from distance. His shot hits Willocks legs, then one of Mings’s feet and loops over the cross bar.
52 min: The ball’s curled toward the far post by Targett and Konsa wins the header under pressure from several Newcastle defenders. His effort floats across the face of goal and wide.
52 min: Emile Krafth is booked for a tackle on Ollie Watkins as the Villa striker threatened to escape his clutches and bear down on goal. Villa free-kick, about 35 yards from the Newcastle goal, a little left of centre.
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50 min: Dwight Gayle overhits a cross into the Villa penalty area and Joelinton sprints to retrieve the ball. He’s promptly crowded off the ball and Villa clear.
Second-half: Newcastle 0-0 Aston Villa
46 min: Against everyone’s better judgement, play resumes. Elmohamady crosses into the Newcastle box and the ball’s headed clear. Matt Targett tries to cross into the Newcastle box from the other wing, but his delivery is blocked.
Half-time: Newcastle 0-0 Aston Villa
Peep: Well, that’s 45 minutes none of us will get back. Chances have been few and far between as two mediocre teams showed a distinct lack of cutting edge up front and relied on largely aimless crosses into the box to try and muster a goal. The deadlock remains resolutely unbroken at St James’ Park.
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45 min: In the Villa penalty area, Dwight Gayle swivels and tries to volley a cross goalwards but miscues. That was a decent chance but he didn’t catch it properly.
44 min: Dubravka claims yet another cross from the left under pressure from Trezeguet.
42 min: Joelinton picks up the ball out on the right and bears down on the Villa penalty area. With Ryan Fraser pointing to where he wants the ball, the Brazilian elects not to pass, runs into traffic and loses it.
39 min: Tyrone Mings plays a backpass towards Martinez without looking to see where he is. Momentarily, it looks as if he might have rolled the ball into his own net but there wasn’t enough pace on it to trundle over the line. Villa’s goalkeeper reacts and clears in plenty of time.
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38 min: It’s taken and Villa’s attack comes to an abrupt end when Mings wins a free-kick off Joelinton, who barges into him from behind as the duo chase the ball towards the byline.
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Douglas Luiz intercepts a loose Jonjo Shelvey pass and Villa play the ball towards the left touchline. They cross the ball into the penalty area, where Ciaran Clark clears. Joelinton, who is giving Tyrone Mings plenty to think about tonight, wins a free-kick for Newcastle.
33 min: Villa corner, won by Targett off Krafth. It’s played short and John McGinn curls a cross into the Newcastle penalty area. It ends up in the hands of Martin Dubravka. Oh, to have a Jack Grealish and/or a Miguel Almiron on the pitch - this is mindnumbing.
32 min: Jonjo Shelvey plays a long ball towards Dwight Gayle in the Newcastle penalty area. Ezri Konsa outjumps him and heads clear.
31 min: From the free-kick, Fraser crosses the ball into the etc, and so on. Villa clear again. While they’re under pressure, they show no sign of buckling any time soon.
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30 min: Newcastle put another three crosses in quick succession into the Villa penalty area. One is over-hit, the other two are cleared. Now they have a free-kick wide on the left; I wonder what they’ll do with it.
29 min: A Ryan Fraser cross from the right is cleared by Ezri Konsa.
28 min: Dubravka is forced to save at his near post after Trezeguet had beaten two defenders while cutting in from the right and shot from a narrow angle.
25 min: El Ghazi is fouled by Emile Krafth out by the left touchline and Villa have a free-kick in line with the front of the Newcastle penalty area. The delivery is deep and lands at the feet of Trezeguet on the right side of the box. His cross for Douglas Luiz at the far post is overhit. Goal-kick.
24 min: There’s very little in the way of quality on show tonight, with both teams struggling to muster anything in the way of a serious threat on goal.
21 min: Yep, Traore is off and is replaced by Anwar El Ghazi.
20 min: Traore is back on his feet but looks like he might have busted a rib. He’s holding the left side of his rib-cage and grimacing with pain. I think he’s done for the night.
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19 min: Playing with numerical advantage, Newcastle apply some pressure. Joelinton has a shot blocked, then an inviting cross towards the far post is cleared.
16 min: In a foot-race with Paul Dummett to prevent the ball going out of play down by the byline, Bertrand Traore is forced to hurdle an advertising hoarding behind the goal, only to clatter into another one a few feet behind it. He goes to ground and looks in a bit of trouble - that hurt. Play resumes while he receives treatment, which seems rather unfair on Villa.
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14 min: A long ball to Joelinton out by the right touchline and he uses his strength to get past Tyrone Mings and head on a diagonal run towards goal. With only Martinez to beat, he looks to have a clear shot on goal until Ezri Konsa appears out of nowhere to block with a heroic last-ditch tackle. That is brilliant.
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13 min: John McGinn and Bertrand Traore threaten down the right wing, but Newcastle keep them at arm’s length.
11 min: Possession stats so far: Newcastle 30%-70% Aston Villa.
10 min: Ciaran Clark boots an Elmohamady cross into the stand for a Villa throw-in deep in Newcastle territory. Nothing comes of it and Newcastle clear. Ten minutes in and there’s not much between the sides, but Villa are looking the more menacing.
8 min: Ahmed Elmohamady curls a nice cross into the Newcastle penalty area, trying to pick out Ollie Watkins. Jamaal Lascelles makes a vital headed interception.
6 min: Villa go on the attack, after Ezri Konsa lumps the ball long out of defence. Nothing comes of it and the ball soon ends up back at the feet of their goalkeeper.
4 min: The first shot in anger comes from Ryan Fraser, who fires straight at Emi Martinez from distance after good work from Gayle and Joelinton.
4 min: The ball’s curled into the penalty area and Ezri Konsa almost gets his head to it. The ball breaks to McGinn, who curls an effort from outside the penalty area high and wide of Martin Dubravka’s goal.
3 min: Jonjo Shelvey brings down Jacob Ramsey to concede a free-kick wide on the left, halfway inside the Newcastle half.
2 min: Under pressure from Ryan Fraser, who has lined up behind Joelinton and Dwight Gayle, Emi Martinez boots the ball out for a throw-in near the halfway line.
1 min: Newcastle win an early throw-in deep in Villa territory, which Emile Krafth chucks long. Villa clear.
Newcastle v Aston Villa is go ...
1 min: Following a minute’s applause for former Newcastle captain Glenn Roeder, who passed away last week, play begins with Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden getting the ball rolling.
Not long now: Villa are first out on to the pitch, followed by their hosts. Both sets of players line up either side of the team of match officials and kick-off is just a few minutes away. Jack Grealish, whose return to Villa’s first team has been delayed by an illness which laid him low this week, is watching from the stands, wearing a white hoodie and a padded lilac coat.
Those teams: Each manager makes one change, with Dean Smith bringing Jacob Ramseyt into his Aston Villa line-up in place of Morgan Sanson. For Newcastle, Dwight Gayle starts up front alongside Joelinton, with midfielder Jeff Hendrick dropping to the bench.
Newcastle United v Aston Villa line-ups
Newcastle: Dubravka, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Willock, Shelvey, Hayden, Fraser, Joelinton, Gayle.
Subs: Carroll, Ritchie, Lewis, Hendrick, Fernandez, Manquillo, Murphy, Darlow, Sean Longstaff.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Elmohamady, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey, Traore, Watkins, Trezeguet.
Subs: Heaton, Cash, Taylor, Nakamba, Barkley, El Ghazi, Engels, Sanson, Davis.
Referee: Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Dean Smith speaks ...
“I’m very respectful of what Steve Bruce has done in the game and what he continues to do,” said Villa’s manager, upon being asked about his opposite number. “They finished in a very good position in the league last season and I’ve no doubt they’ll do so again. I’m not here to tell anybody what Steve Bruce can do. He’s a far more experienced manager than I am.”
On his team’s progress this season. “I’d have certainly taken that [ninth place with games in hand] at the start of the season,” he told reporters. “I’d have never accepted it because I’ve always got a belief that you can go and do well, but we have progressed a lot quicker than we thought we would this season.
“We knew that we weren’t satisfied with last season and we wanted to improve anyway. The improvement in the first half of the season was very good. Like most teams at the moment, we’ve been a little bit inconsistent with results recently.”
Steve Bruce speaks ...
“We play first [this weekend], so it would be great if we can go and get a result,” said Newcastle’s manager in his pre-match press conference. “We know we’re capable of getting a result so we’ll try our utmost to try and post one if we can – then we’ll see what the others do over the weekend.”
Asked about the threat of relegation, he said he reckoned his players have enough about them to get themselves out of their current predicament. “Certainly experience helps and we’ve got enough experience in the dressing room to handle, to cope with the pressure,” he said. “We have to deal with a certain pressure every week, in my opinion. When you put on a black and white shirt, there’s a big pressure on you to perform and get results.”
Early team news
Even with their most creative players, Newcastle have often struggled this season, but once again they must go without Calum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron, while central defender Fabian Schar is also sidelined.
Villa go into battle without their stand-out player, Jack Grealish, who remains out indefinitely with a shin problem. Wesley and Kortney Hause are also out. Anwar El Ghazi, Matty Cash and Bertrand Traore are all expected to be available for selection following their return from injury.
Premier League: Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Just a point point clear of the relegation zone, Newcastle entertain an Aston Villa side who will overtake Liverpool and go eighth, having played one game fewer, if they can win tonight.
Following their rather fortuitous escape from the drop last season, Villa have been something of a revelation this time around, while their hosts have – the occasional good performance aside – been largely awful. Villa are the favourites but Newcastle need to start racking up points and doing so quickly, now that the engine under Fulham’s bonnet appears to roared into life with their thoroughly deserved win over Liverpool.
Kick off at St James’ Park is at 8pm (GMT) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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